Textile Fragment
Unknown Artist
3rd–4th century
Medium
Wool, linen; plain weave, tapestry weave
Dimensions
H. 25 7/8 in. (65.7 cm) W. 2 5/8 in. (6.6 cm)
Classification
Textiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase by subscription, 1889
Accession Number
89.18.48
Art Historical Context
This delicate *Textile Fragment*, dating to the 3rd–4th century, offers a glimpse into the sophisticated textile traditions of Late Antiquity in regions associated with early Islamic culture, such as Egypt or the Near East. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Department of Islamic Art, this narrow strip—measuring 25⅞ inches high by just 2⅝ inches wide—was acquired through a subscription purchase in 188. Likely part of a larger garment, curtain, or burial shroud, exemplifies the everyday artistry of anonymous weavers whose work adorned both the living and the dead. Crafted from wool and li...